


I Fell in Love With A Bitter Man.

by itsnotaboutlove



Series: We Two Fools [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-21
Updated: 2013-08-21
Packaged: 2017-12-24 04:39:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/935475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsnotaboutlove/pseuds/itsnotaboutlove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day Jim Kirk met Leonard McCoy, in the cramped space of the kitchen.... he knew his life would change forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Fell in Love With A Bitter Man.

The day Jim Kirk met Leonard McCoy, in the cramped space of the kitchen, he knew his life would change forever. Of course, Leonard was a grumbling and muttering kind of man, as Phil introduced the new meat cook of the _Yorktown,_ replacing Gary Mitchell after quitting just several weeks previously.

 

“So, you know all the ways to break the bones, huh?” Jim said, mentally kicking himself for having the worst introductory line in all his life.

 

“I would hope so,” Leonard grumbled, as they shook hands. “Aren’t you a little young workin’ here?”

 

Jim scowled, as Nyota giggled into her piping bag. “I’m old enough,” Jim shot back, standing up tall and proud. “I’m the Sous chef here. And I think I’m gonna call you Bones.”

 

“And I’m Princess Diana,” Leonard rolled his eyes, turning to Phil. “Where am I stationed?”

 

As Phil led him over to Gary’s former space, Leonard glared at Nyota and tossed the dishtowel onto the counter, before turning on his heel to storm out of the kitchen. He cursed himself for being so stupid while introducing himself to Leonard, since he claimed to be “the best” at picking up people with his “smooth” moves and pickup lines. And he cursed Leonard as well, for being tall, dark and so fucking handsome.

 

“Oi,” Scotty called out from behind the bar. “What’s got yeh in a pissy mood?”

 

“That new guy,” Jim grumbled, sitting down at the counter. “Give me your best, Scotty.”

 

Scotty sighed, grabbing a tumbler from the counter. “Yeh should be nice, lad,” he shrugged, filling the glass up with ice. “Ah know Gary was yer best mate, but shite happens.”

 

Gary was anything but Jim’s best mate, as Scotty put it. He was also the man that Jim spent four years pining over, as they worked side by side in Pike’s kitchen. Being a twenty-six year old, bi-sexual in Seattle, Jim slept with a good portion of men and women. Gary, with his dark brown hair and blue eyes, was totally not one of Jim’s types. But that didn’t stop Jim from having a massive crush on him for the four years of knowing him, using him as the object of his desires during every wet dream and jerk off session. Eventually, after years of hanging out and “bonding” over sports and other ridiculous things, Jim finally gave in and told Gary how he truly felt. Except, much to Jim’s distress, Gary didn’t feel the same way.

 

“ _I don’t do relationships, Kirk,”_ Gary snorted. “ _I’m more of a….fuck em and leave em kinda guy. Unless you got some talent that would have me comin’ back for more.”_

It turned out, according to Janice Rand, that Gary Mitchell was a severe sex addict who tried to get herself and Christine Chapel into a threesome; both were newly dating and didn’t get close to anything with a penis, which Jim respected the day he walked into _Yorktown_ to work.

 

The blow was even harder, when Gary up and left in the middle of the night, leaving a voicemail on Phil’s phone that he wouldn’t be back…ever. So on went the interviews and the test runs between Phil and Pike, while the others watched as people came and went from the kitchen and office with their signature dishes. Out of thirty-five people, no one made the cut. Until Leonard McCoy showed up, straight from bumblefuck Georgia.

 

“I give him a week,” Jim said, as he tossed back the whiskey. “One week before he runs off or kills Pike.”

 

“Ah don’t know, lad,” Scotty shook his head, as he wiped the counter down. “Ah heard that he’s really good.”

 

Jim grumbled and stood up from the chair, “One week and he’s out,” he said, before making his way back into the kitchens. “Please god, let it be a week.”

 

…………

 

One week turned into six, as Leonard adapted as best as one grumpy bastard could, much to Jim’s dismay. Leonard was all kinds of grumptastic, as he grumbled and cursed in his corner every night for six weeks. Or when the vendors came at the ass crack of dawn, delivering the days worth of meat and poultry for Leonard to work with.

 

“How can I work with this crap!?!” he shouted, as the vendor handed over the order form to Phil. “This is supposed to be top quality London broil? This looks thinner than a hooker’s nylons!”

 

Of course, Scotty and Hikaru LOVED him. Between his craptastic mood swings and his knowledge of the finest whiskey and bourbon, Leonard McCoy suddenly had a fan base. On some days, Leonard clashed with Pike over dishes and space, while he doted on Nyota.

 

“You are a fairy bakery queen,” he shook his head, as she put the final touches on a batch of cupcakes. “I ain’t never seen such a thing before in my life.”

 

And it was Nyota who got the full story, or most of it, out of Leonard McCoy.

 

“He’s a single dad of a six year old girl,” she said, over a bottle of wine and chocolate cake. “Just moved out of Georgia after filing for divorce from his wife, filing for full custody of his daughter. He lives with his younger sister just a few minutes away, until he can figure out what to do next.”

 

The next morning, as Leonard shuffled in from rainy summer morning, Jim had two cups of coffee on the counter.

 

“Mornin’,” Leonard grumbled, as he shook out of his wet jacket. “Anyone else here?”

 

Jim shook his head, “Pike wanted to sleep in this morning, so I was given the job to open,” he shrugged. “I made coffee if you’re thirsty. Don’t know what you like, so I left it black.”

 

“Black’s good,” Leonard nodded, picking up the cup. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem,” Jim said quietly, watching as Leonard drank. “So… Nyota says you have a daughter.”

 

Leonard sputtered, nearly burning himself with spewed coffee. He was already glaring and ready to snap, when Jim quickly beat him to the punch.

 

“There’s some great museums in the area that she would like,” Jim said quickly. “And if she likes books, you should sign her up at the local library. They have the best selection of books within a thirty mile radius.”

 

When he looked up, Leonard was frowning at him, “We also have three zoos and two aquariums if she likes that stuff,” Jim offered, shrugging lightly.

 

There was silence from Leonard and Jim suddenly wanted to throw himself into the fryer and die a slow and painful death.

 

“Thanks, kid,” Leonard finally said, nodding slowly. “I’ll look into all that for her later.”

 

“Cool,” Jim nodded. “So, is she a little chef in training like you, Bones?”

 

And for the first time in almost seven weeks, Leonard laughed. And god, it was a beautiful laugh, which made Jim’s heart swell and his eyelids flutter.

 

“She likes to eat for sure,” Leonard shook his head. “But she’s at that age when everyday she wants to be something different.”

 

Jim smiled, “What did she want to be yesterday?” he asked, resting his elbows on the counter.

 

“A tap dancer,” Leonard nodded, looking down at his cup.

 

“And today?”

 

Leonard managed a small smile, “A penguin doctor.”

 

“I bet tomorrow she’ll want to be a basketball player,” Jim smirked. “Something related to sports. I can feel it! ”

 

“Yeah right,” Leonard shook his head, moving to his counter.

 

Jim chuckled, “Mark my words, Bonesy!” he wagged his finger at him. “I’ll wash all your fancy knives and pans tomorrow night after dinner if I’m wrong.”

 

……….

 

He wasn’t wrong.

 

 _Joanna_ wanted to be the next Mia Hamm and win at the Summer Olympics.

………….

 

Three months after wandering into the _Yorktown_ and into Jim’s life, everyone finally met little Joanna McCoy. She was a total clone of Leonard, from her brown hair to her hazel eyes. Even the scowl she gave her Daddy when he told her not to shout in the kitchen, which startled Jim right down to his core.

 

“I like food,” Joanna beamed at him, as they pulled the lettuce off the head. “My Daddy makes me lots of food, cuz I’m a growing girl!”

 

“Is that so?” Jim asked, as she nodded. “Well, what do you like to eat?”

 

She giggled, “Lots of stuffs,” she shrugged. “Mac and cheese, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chicken, noodles, veggietables, apples and everything else!”

 

Joanna was the light to Leonard’s darkness, making everyone laugh as she told them funny stories about her Daddy and her Aunt Mellie.

 

“Aunt Mellie can’t cook and Daddy always grumbles when she does,” Joanna said, as Nyota packed up a few treats for her. “He grumbles like a bear!”

 

Leonard blushed, and Jim thought it was completely adorable, as he shook his head. “I don’t grumble,” he said, as Joanna gasped.

 

“Yes you do, Daddy!” she nodded, her pigtails bobbing. “You grumble like this!”

 

She proceeded to demonstrate how he grumbled, making everyone laugh in the process, as her face scrunched up and a deep growl left her tiny body.

 

“Oh boy,” Jim shook his head. “I think I like you, Joanna McCoy.”

 

Joanna beamed at him, “I think I like you too, Mister Jim!”

 

And for the first time in a very long time, Jim felt the overwhelming sensation of love and hope.

 

………….

 

It was October, six months after Leonard and Joanna McCoy arrived to Seattle, when Jim Kirk realized he was in love with the man.

 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jim cursed, as he paced back and forth in his bedroom. “Shit! Fuck me! Fuck me!”

 

“No Jim. I will not fuck you!” Hikaru shouted from down the hall. “Will you stop jerking off in the middle of the goddamn day? I’m home and awake and I really don’t need to hear it.”

 

One of the cons about living with your friend and co-worker, was that Hikaru Sulu acted more like a eighty-five year old grandpa, instead of a twenty-nine year old man.

 

“Shut up!” Jim shouted, as he continued to pace his room.

 

Falling in love with Leonard McCoy was the last thing Jim ever expected. The man was obviously straight, having been married to a woman for nine years.

 

“I can’t be in love with, Bones,” he said to himself. “He totally doesn’t love me and I have a fucking dick. Bones is totally straight and you are a stupid fuck for even falling in love with him.”

 

Falling back onto his unmade bed, Jim stared up at the ceiling and pouted. “I hate my life,” he said out loud. “I really do.”

 

……….

 

When Leonard found out about his sister shaking up with Pike, Jim took that opportunity to step in and watch out for the man. When it was clear, after a month, that Leonard had no plans on reconciling with his little sister, Jim played mediator between the two. While Leonard worked and struggled to take care of Joanna, Jim stepped in and helped. He did the shopping and came over when Leonard needed to fly out to meet his divorce lawyers in various cities.

 

For a year, Jim fell deeper and deeper in love with Leonard and with Joanna.

 

“God Ny,” Jim groaned. “I seriously need help! I love him so fucking much, but I can’t tell him that.”

 

Nyota huffed, “Jim, grow some balls and fucking tell him!” she yelled.

 

It was a tough five months, considering the fact that Chris and Melanie had broken up in July and Spock was acting odd around her. Now, with Melanie and Chris due to leave Seattle without either of them knowing, Nyota was trying her best to avoid everyone’s desire to get them back together.

 

“But-“ Jim protested, before she glared at him.

 

“I honestly don’t have time right now to hear you cry over that bastard!” Nyota snapped. “Either you tell him right now that you love him and to get his fucking head out of his ass, or you just stop it now!”

 

Jim nodded and quickly left her house, racing across town to Leonard and Joanna’s tiny apartment. They had already made plans that day to bake, while Leonard went out to do some Christmas shopping for Joanna. When he returned, Joanna ran off to the bathroom to wash her hands, while the fight began.

_"No!" Jim snapped. "I am sick of this shit! It's been going on for almost a year! You got what you wanted, Bones!" he shouted._

_Leonard frowned, "What the fuck are you talkin' about?" he yelled._

_"You wanted them apart and they are! You win!" Jim yelled back._

_"Fuck you, Jim!"_

_"NO FUCK YOU!" Jim bellowed. "The three of you are fucking idiots! I've never met a group of people who lie and betray one another to this degree in my fucking life!"_

Jim honestly didn’t want for it to come out that way, a year’s worth of falling in love and becoming the one friend that Leonard needed, to be thrown out the window. But the tension was so high in that tiny apartment off SilverCreak road, which was no place for a little girl like Joanna to grow up in, that Jim cracked.

_Leonard laughed harshly, "Then why the hell are you still invested in stayin' around, Jim?" he asked. "If none of this is like your goddamn fairytale dream world in your fuckin' head?"_

_"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU ASSHOLE!" Jim shouted._

_Leonard just stared at him, "You what?" he whispered, as Jim blushed._

_"I love you," he repeated, this time in a lower voice. "I. love. you."_

The look on Leonard’s face as the words came out, was like a knife to the gut. Shock, confusion, embarrassment, all the emotions played out on his face like an etch-e-sketch and when he didn’t say it back, Jim wanted to die. So he quickly grabbed his jacket and snow boots, told Leonard that the cookies would be done in fifteen minutes and ran. When he finally reached his cold and dark bedroom, he buried himself under the worn out quilt and cried himself to sleep.

 

………

 

The next time Jim saw him alone, was Christmas Day, right in the middle of Nyota’s kitchen. Before everything, Jim was supposed to spend his holiday with Leonard and Joanna, as a friend. But now, everything was ruined. Only two days previously, along with Chris, they rushed to the airport to stop Melanie from leaving. By the time they left, Melanie and Chris were back together before they could pull up outside of her house.

 

“Jim!” Joanna screeched, as she ran towards him.

  
“Jo-Bean!” he pulled her up into his arms, hugging her tightly to his chest. “Hey sweetheart! You look so pretty!”

 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked down at him, “How come you didn’t come over last night?” she pouted, as Jim sighed. “I waited for you all night and you never came.”

 

His heart broke into fine particles at that point, since her Daddy went and broke it into a million pieces a few weeks previously.

  
“I’m sorry, Jo,” he shook his head. “I should’ve called but I didn’t.”

 

Joanna pouted at him, “Could you ever forgive me?” he asked, as Leonard stood in the entryway of the kitchen, watching them both.

 

The seven year old sighed, “I think so,” she nodded. “As long as you sit next to me during dinner and open my present to you first!”

 

Jim smiled, “I would be honored to sit next to you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “How about I put together a drink for you? A soda pop?”

 

She nodded, “And then we’ll sit at the table and eat, while Nyota yells at everyone for making a mess in her kitchen.”

 

…………

 

It was a quarter to twelve, on that Christmas evening, when Jim finally found himself with a boyfriend. It turned out that Leonard was no stranger to kissing and fooling around with the same sex, having been a “wild boy” back in college. And when they finally kissed, and god it was a hell of a kiss, Jim felt as if he attached his soul into another; there was no plan to let Leonard “Bones” McCoy out of his life, now that he had him right where he wanted him.

 

Then Melanie and Chris walked in, giving Leonard’s little sister the surprise news that her older brother enjoyed both men and women. Along with a few suggestions on the topic of anal sex, which made her blush like a virgin bride on her wedding night.

 

“So,” Jim sighed, as he leaned against the railing of Nyota’s porch. “You sure you want to date me?”

 

“You can’t be _that_ bad,” Leonard snorted, as the snow fell lightly around them. “You sure ain’t half as bad as my ex-wife.”

 

Jim snorted, “No,” he shook is head. “I’m not. But I do get clingy.”

 

Leonard’s eyebrows went up, “Oh really?” he asked, as Jim nodded.

 

“I’m a human octopus,” Jim shrugged, as Leonard slowly made his way over to him. “And I tend to wrap myself around people when I sleep.”

 

“I like to hog the blankets,” Leonard smirked. “And I snore.”

 

He whistled, “Sexy,” he grinned, before turning serious. “I meant it when I said we’d take this slow, Bones.”

 

Leonard wrapped his arm around his shoulders, pulling him close for both warmth and comfort. “I know,” he nodded. “And thank you for that, Jim.”

 

“Besides,” Jim sighed happily, as they snuggled close together on Nyota’s porch. “I already know you’ll be a beast in bed. I’m good at knowing these things.”

 

Sputtering, Leonard shot him a warning look before shaking his head. “God help me…” he muttered, as Jim buried his face into the crook of his shoulder.

 

……….

 

Three weeks later, Jim finally found out what Leonard McCoy was like in bed.

 

Afterwards, as they laid in a heap of sweaty and sore limbs, Jim began to giggle.

 

“What are you gigglin’ at?” Leonard mumbled, as he came down from his orgasm.

 

“You,” Jim snorted, wrapping his leg tightly around Leonard’s. “You’re like a bear, Bones. A big ol’ _grumbling_ bear.”

 

 

 


End file.
